Carnival Loyalty Overhaul Leaves Longtime Guests Feeling Abandoned
Reactions to Carnival Cruise Line’s announcement of their complete loyalty program revamp have been fast and furious – literally.
Guests have wasted no time in expressing their disbelief, frustration, and outright rage over the vast changes as the current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program is to be sunsetted in 2026, replaced with a points-based, spend-based program with recurrent expirations.
There’s a lot to unpack in the new Carnival Rewards program, but guests are upset at one key factor the most – the loss of lifetime loyalty benefits and the years-long accrual of that status.
Loss of a Lifetime
The big – and not too pleasant – surprise that has many loyal Carnival guests reeling is that their loyalty status now has an expiration date. Every two years, Carnival Cruise Line will “reset” guests’ loyalty, and they will have to re-earn – in other words, re-spend – to keep their benefits.
“The lifetime status revocation is a deal breaker for me,” one guest noted. “Take away a few perks… No big deal. But this change was my personal deal breaker.”
Many travelers have expressed similar thoughts. It can take years to reach the higher levels of the VIFP program, years in which guests might have considered trying other cruise lines but remained loyal to Carnival in anticipation of eventually earning more benefits.
Carnival Rewards Tiers and Perks
To have those benefits revoked after just a couple of years (or in the case of Diamond-level cruisers, in six years at first, and then every two years thereafter) feels very much like a “what have you done for me lately” expression from Carnival Cruise Line.
Furthermore, it is the complete revocation of benefits that has angered many otherwise loyal Carnival guests. Other cruise lines do have loyalty clauses that require travelers to set sail once every 2-3 years to maintain their benefits, ensuring ongoing spending and loyalty.
Carnival’s new program, however, requires that guests re-earn ALL of their benefits in a limited two-year time frame. As many have noted, this isn’t always possible – particularly for the budget-friendly, family-oriented line that Carnival claims to be.
Buying Loyalty
The current program – which will remain in place through May 31, 2026 – counts a guest’s loyalty based on the total number of days they have sailed with Carnival Cruise Line. Once earned, that loyalty has been forever, with guests building to different tiers and their related benefits over years, or even over a lifetime.
The new Carnival Rewards program, however, is radically different. Beginning on June 1, 2026, guests will earn loyalty points based on their spending – from their cruise fare to shore tours, spa treatments, casino play, drink packages, onboard merch, and more.
Okay, that’s not too bad. Many loyal guests have long since advocated for the ability to earn points based on spending rather than simply days at sea, as one’s spending does support the company just as much as long-term loyalty.
In what appears to be a miscalculated blunder, however, Carnival Cruise Line is pushing hard for guests to sign up for their branded credit card as a way to earn points even faster.
While this is a common tactic for loyalty programs for gas stations or individual stores, it is rubbing many cruise travelers – who often save for years to afford their vacations of choice – the wrong way.
“This is not a loyalty program. It is a rebate program,” one guest described. “The more you spend, the more you will be rebated – as long as it’s within a two-year period.”
More Losses
It isn’t just the loss of status that guests are noticing as well. Various benefits of the program will be permanently removed or curtailed.
For Platinum and Diamond level cruisers, there will be no more VIFP Club parties on sailings of five nights or longer, nor will there be any welcome treats available.
There will be no more logo gifts – tote bags, baseball caps, beach bags, journals, or drink koozies. Guests in the Gold VIFP tier will no longer receive their pin on each sailing (pins will remain for Platinum and Diamond guests).
Guests under the age of 18 will no longer receive the $5 in complimentary arcade credits.
If guests do eventually reach the Diamond level of the new program, they will not be receiving a complimentary specialty dining dinner, a one-time free stateroom upgrade, or the exclusive luggage tag set as welcomes to the uppermost tier.
Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise
Some of the most popular benefits – the priority embarkation and debarkation, free wash-and-fold laundry, and early online check-in are remaining for Platinum and Diamond-level guests – so long as they spend enough to re-earn those benefits every two years.
What other benefits will stay or go, or whether or not Carnival Cruise Line further revises the Carnival Rewards program in the coming months, remains to be seen.
Carnival Loyalty Overhaul Leaves Longtime Guests Feeling Abandoned